Truth
by Sparkkeee
Summary: When Shelby tells Peter about Walt. In between episode 15 to 18. It never says exactly when she told him just that she did. Mentions abuse physical and sexual.
1. Chapter 1

Higher Ground

When Shelby tells Peter about Walt.

Shelby

In between episode 17 and 18. I think...

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**I know this show was on like 13 years ago, but I just recently found it. So coming to the party late. After watching the series this is one scene that I wish the would have shown. Hope you felt the same way.**

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Shelby's POV

It has been a couple of days since Kat's Dog's Peak trip. Today, and I have a solo session with Peter. I know he has been waiting to confront me about my break down that happened during the trip. I'm not ready because just like with Scott I know that once he knows that he will hate me. I can't tell. I promised him and he made me a promise. I can not break it. No one understands that I can't let that happen. But here I am waiting outside Peter's office being my usual bitchy self.

"You can come in now, Shelby." Peter says while standing in the doorway to his office as Juliette walks out with her usual smiling face.

"Bye, Peter. See you later. Hi, Shelby, have fun." She says winking at me and then walking away. I don't reply as I walk into Peter's office and sit on the couch.

Peter sits in the chair across from me, with his back against the chair. He looks at me waiting for me to talk. I cross my arms over my chest and stare back. We sat like that for a couple of minutes till Peter finally gave in.

He sighed leaning forward in the chair to say "Shelby. Your going to have to talk eventually." I looked away trying not to let the words get to me. I knew what he was saying was true but this was so hard to talk about and I promised he promised. I can't.

"Shel, it is eating you up. Even though you don't want to admit it. It is one thing in a long time that you can control. I understand but the only way to fix things and to be helped is to talk. I'm ready whenever you are." Peter said softly

I could feel my walls starting to break. I opened my mouth to start talking. I can't. He promised. I promised. I closed my mouth shrugging.

Peter groaned and slumped back in the chair for a moment rubbing his temples.

"Ok. Shel, in a few months you will have been here for almost a year. Your mother brought you here after you ran away multiple times and the last time you had been living on the street for a couple of months before she found you. You were using drugs when you came in. You were hostile, angry, and terrified to get close to anyone. And in the time you have been here you haven't improved much. You limit those who you allow to get close to you. Daisy is one of those people and I want be. Shel, please, talk to me."

I could feel the tears forming in my eyes. "I want to, Peter. But...I can't. I can't. I promised." I said quitely

"Promised who?" Peter questioned

"No one. Can I go? Please." I said quickly starting to stand up and charge for the door

Peter jumped up and beat me to the door. I tried to push passed, but Peter just wraped his arms around me and held me tight. His back was up against the door I fought trying to get away. Peter just held me tighter as I fought I slowly stopped and just started to sob into his shoulder. He murmured comforting word to me. After awhile I stopped crying and we just sat there. Peter still had his arm around my shoulder and I was leaning into him. It reminded me of when I watched tv and you would see a father watching tv with his daughter how they were relaxed and safe around each other. For once in a long time I felt safe and comfort.

"Shelby?" Peter said

"Yeah." I answered

"I'm going to say something and you probably won't like it. Ok." He said shifting to look at my face

"I guess." I said unsure

"I know about what you don't want to tell me."

I flipped around real fast and moved away from him. "What do you know?" I stammered

"I know about your stepfather." I said calmly

"How?" I cried "I never told anyone. I can't. I promised. He promised."

"You didn't need to say anything, Shel. It is in your eyes. Everyone can see the pain, confusion, and guilt. You use your sarcasm and anger to distance your self from everyone so you don't get to close to anyone and get hurt."

"Is it that obvious?" I whimpered with fresh tears coming down my face

"Not to the students or most of the adults. I could. I mentioned it to Sophie while we were on the Dog's Peak trip. She didn't want to believe it."

"Sophie knows?" I moaned

Peter nodded

I started to cry again. Peter moved over to me and I flinched away. "No, don't! Go away!" I yelled

Peter still came and he picked me up and moved over to the couch. He laid me down. I rolled over to face the back of the couch. I couldn't look at Peter. To see the pity and sadness in his eyes. I wrapped my arms around my chest and just kept crying. Peter sat down on the floor next to me and rubbed my back. He grabbed a cover off the back of the couch and covered me up. It was comforting I finally let myself feel all of the emotions I was burying deep and thoughts that is all that remember when I slowly stopped crying and fell asleep.

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Peter's POV

I sat there rubbing Shelby's back as she cried and listened as they slowly quieted down and fell asleep. I sat there for awhile after she fell asleep still rubbing her back and thinking. I couldn't believe that she had finally broken down. Now it was going to get harder she didn't deny it before but she hasn't said any details yet either. I stood up and walked over to my desk to do some paperwork until Shelby woke up.

It had been a couple of hours since Shelby fell asleep. When she started tossing and turning and yelling.

"NO! GET OFF! PLEASE! NO, WALT!" she yelled

"Shelby." I said jumping up to run over to her shaking her to wake her up

"NO! DON'T TOUCH JESS! THAT HURTS! I'M SORRY!" she screamed some more

"SHELBY! WKAE UP!" I yelled at her shaking her more

"I'LL DO WHAT YOU WANT! JUST DON'T TOUCH JESS, PLEASE!" she yelled before finally waking up confused about why I was shaking her she pulled away quickly and moved across the room.

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Shelby's POV

I was having a horrible dream. Maybe it wasn't a dream but a memory. I woke up to someone shaking me. I opened my eyes and saw that it was a man. I jumped away quickly trying to get away before realizing it was Peter and not him. Not Walt. Oh, Crap.

Peter's eyes were full of worry. I must of said something while I was sleeping Crap.

"I'm sorry, Peter. I didn't realize it was you." I said

"Shelby. We have to talk about it."

"I know. But nobody can know that I told you."

he nodded I knew he would have to tell but it was comforting for the moment. I walked back over to the couch and sat on one edge. Peter sat on the other we faced each other. I put the cover over me.

"Where do you want to start?" I asked

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**More will be up soon. Enjoy.**


	2. Chapter 2

Higher Ground

When Shelby tells Peter about Walt.

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**I know this show was on like 13 years ago, but I just recently found it. So coming to the party late. After watching the series this is one scene that I wish the would have shown. Hope you felt the same way.**

**Thank you all for the great reviews. So I went and watched the series again to make sure I got all of my facts correct before I wrote this chapter. In some stories it mentions Shelby contacting her birth father and he sent her to Horizon. But in episode two Peter tells Sophie that her mother brought her there after finding her living on the streets. I never heard them mention her father at all in later episode either. They never went into specifics on what exactly happened with Walt so I am making up my own story for it.**

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**Shelby's POV**

"Where do you want to start?" I asked Peter

"Just take a deep breath and relax, Shel. You'll know where you want to begin. There is no rush take your time." Peter said caringly

I did as he said. In and out I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. He was right my mind took me to a the best place to begin.

_'Sigh'_ I exhaled

"My dad... My biological one left when Jess was only a baby. I don't remember him much. Mom was having a hard time working and raising us trying to make ends meet. She did her best, but she thought that if there was another person helping out than everything would be better...And I guess she was lonely. So she started dating and she eventually found _him_." I said calmly

Peter didn't say anything he just stared at me waiting for me to continue. I took another deep breath and refocused myself.

"It was fine in the beginning we were happy. Everything was so normal. With Walt helping with the finances then mom could be home more often and we could see her. It was great. Mom and Walt got married when I was almost seven they had been together a few years by that point. He was nice to me and Jess. He was like a father to us. Jess had started to call him dad before they were even married. I didn't I still have vague memory's of my dad and as cliché as it sounds I always fantasized about him coming to get me and take me to some far off place." I sighed I was getting off the point

"It didn't start...till I was...eleven almost twelve." I said finally pulling my legs up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. I just stared off into space for a couple of minutes collecting my thoughts.

"Peter, I was little I didn't know about that stuff yet. Why? Why would somebody think it was ok to do that? Why me?" I cried out looking into Peter's eyes I saw his emotions so clearly as they played across his face.

"Shel, I wish I knew the answer to that. I really do." He replied thoughtfully

We sat in silence for a while it was getting dark outside. My session was at four and it didn't get dark till around eight. That would mean that I had been here for a few hours now. Curfew would be coming up soon.

"At first he would just come in and watch me as I fell asleep and then he started laying in bed with me. Then he started touching himself." I shivered at all of these bad memories. I could feel more tears getting ready to start coming. I swallowed and blinked hard to force them back down.

Peter put a hand on my knee comfortingly I gave him a small but sad smile at the gesture.

"I didn't know what was going on. I guess I thought that it was normal or something. He said that it was and that it was how you showed your love as he would say his girls. He called it are special secret. I was his sweet _kitten_." I choked on the word "That is what he called me _kitten_" I spat the word out acidly Peter patted my knee again. I took a deep breath and continued on.

"After that he would come in every night after Jess and Mom were asleep. He would climb into my bed and touch himself but soon that wasn't enough...He had to do it naked. When that got old for him is when just laying in my bed wasn't enough." I cried letting more tear fall down my face. Peter moved over to me on the couch I flinched.

"Shel, Your safe it is just me. I'm going give you a hug alright?" He said slowly and calmly I nodded. I felt his arm wrap around my shoulder and him pull me in closer to him. Instantly feeling that same safe and comfort feeling I had earlier I wrapped my arms around his neck and put my head on his shoulder and cried. When I stopped I let go of Peter and moved back to my spot pulling my knees up to my chest again.

"Please, don't hate me." I whimpered sadly

"Shelby. No, matter what you tell me I will never hate you." He said sincerely.

I took another breath.

"He started touching me too after that. I told him to stop. He would just say that he was showing his love for me. Soon he started making me take my clothes off too. and touch him back." I gagged when I said that. Peter shot up and grabbed the waste basket that was next to his desk and brought it over to me. I spit up into it. Peter went into his bathroom and came back with a glass of water.

"Thanks." I said grabbing the cup into my hands and taking a drink

"No problem, Shel. Take your time." He said sitting back down

After rinsing my mouth with the water I began again.

"It stayed like that for a while. Apparently that was enough for him. At school we had one of those sexual harassment/abuse things. You know the 'Stop. Don't Touch Me There This Is My NO NO Square.' ones" I laughed

"I bet my face was hilarious. I went home and cornered him when mom and Jess were at the store. I told him that if he did it again I would tell. He didn't like that. He smacked me a few times and said that if I ever told anyone than he would start doing it to Jess. She was still innocent still little. I couldn't let anything happen to her. Jess started playing some sport and had a game far enough away that mom and her stayed in a hotel. I begged mom to let me go, but she said that Walt didn't want to be left home alone for the weekend, but he had to work so he couldn't go."

"He must have planned it." I exclaimed angrily as there was a knock on the door I jumped at the sound. The door opened it was Sophie.

"Peter, nobody has seen Shelby in a couple of hours and she wasn't at dinner. I'm really worried." She said quickly not noticing me on the couch

"Oh." She said when she saw me "What is wrong?" she asked kneeling in front of me taking my hands in hers. It was so lovingly the way she was around us. Like a mom. She told me and Daisy she couldn't have kids. Which was very saddening because she would have been a really good one. I wished she was my mother.

I didn't say anything. I just stared at her. Thinking.

"Shelby is telling me her demons" Peter said

Sophie looked shocked but glad that I was talking.

"I'm sorry. I'll talk to you later than." she said looking to Peter

"NO!" I yelled holding her hands tighter. They both looked shocked and confused by my outburst

"I want you to stay too." I whispered

Sophie had the biggest grin slide across her face.

"Peter can you catch her up while I go to the bathroom." I said standing up

"Yes." He simply answered.

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**Peter's POV**

Once Shelby was in the bathroom I told Soph what Shelby had admitted so far. Sadness filled her face at what I was saying. She hugged me tightly when I finished.

"I am so glad that she is opening up. Why is this trash can here?" She asked

"Shel, started to throw up when she was telling me what had happened. And I don't think we have even gotten to the worst part yet." I responded

"I'm happy she asked me to stay, Peter." She said "I really feel for that girl. I really want to help her. She is such a good kid. I love her and don't want anything bad to happen to her anymore." She said as the toilet flushed and Shelby came walking out of the washroom.

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**Shelby's POV**

No wonder Sophie knew something was wrong I looked like I just lived through a hurricane. My eyes were really red and puffy tears left streaks all over my face. I splashed some water on my face when I was washing my hands and wiped them off on a towel before walking back into Peter's office. When I walked out I saw how close they were sitting. I smirked.

"Do I need to leave? So you can have a room to yourselves." I asked

Peter smiled and shook his head as I sat down on the couch next to them in my usual place. We were getting to the bad stuff now. They moved to get more comfortable and to be able to look at each other.

"When ever your ready? Shelby." Sophie said sweetly I pulled my legs tighter to me

"Where was I?" I asked looking to Peter

"You said that he must have planned it." Peter said

"Oh. Yeah...Umm...Mom and Jess left to go to the game. They would be gone all weekend. I had to stay because _Walt _didn't want to be home alone, but he had to work a shift so he couldn't go or so that is what he told my mom." I took a breath and stared at the wall I couldn't look at them

"It was a couple of weeks after my thirteenth birthday. You know I was finally a teenager. Most kids get their first kiss at some party playing spin the bottle or truth or dare or seven minutes in heaven or something" I said starting to shake some holding on tighter to my legs "But not me he couldn't let that happen."

"It was the best opportunity you know with mom and Jess being gone for a few days. No chances of being over heard when I fought back and screamed. I always fought always. I think he liked that tho. I just never told. If I told he would start doing it to Jess. I couldn't let that happen." I cried

"Mom and Jess left Friday morning and I went to school. Walt had to work the evening shift which meant I would have the house to myself till midnight before my nightly hell would start." I choked out still hugging my legs and staring at the wall.

"I came home did my homework, ate dinner, watched some t.v., and took a shower before I went to bed so I could get a couple of hours of decent sleep before he came home. I heard him enter the house he was loud not worried about waking anyone up. I looked at my clock it was two in the morning. He was home later than usual. I pretended to be asleep when he came into my room, but it didn't matter. He shook me awake. You could smell alcohol on him he reeked of it."

"I told him to go away it wasn't morally right to do this. He yelled and punched me in the face. He used his normal threats as he stripped out of his clothes. When he told me to do the same. I refused he got really pissed. I never seen him so angry. He hit me a couple of more times and then pulled out his pocket knife and cut my pajamas from my body." I took another breath I was shaking really hard Sophie came over and wrapped her arms around me pulling me onto her lap.

I exhaled with a silent stream of tears going down my face taking a minute before I finished.

"I was still shocked that he had hit me so hard and more than once. I guess it was because he was drunk." I sighed "He said that he was sorry that he was drunk but tonight was going to be a special night for us and he was nervous. He did what he usually did, but when ever he climbed on top of me I realized what he meant by his words."

"I fought back. Like really fought this time. I punched him in the face and kneed him in the crouch. He fell to the floor in pain. I shot off my bed and went to run out of the room, but he recovered before I could get there. He grabbed me by my hair and flung me into the wall. It knocked the wind out of me and I fell to the ground he then walked to my closet and grabbed some of my scarves. He said that if I wouldn't be his sweet gentle kitten then he would make me. He tied my arms and legs to the bedpost so I couldn't fight. He hit me as pay back for trying to run away."

I put my head down into my knees trying to figure out how to say what I needed to say next. Just thinking about it made my stomach turn. Sophie was startled when I suddenly flew out of her arms and jumped over to the trash can and started throwing up my lunch and breakfast. Sophie held my hair back as I hurled. After a few times I stopped trying to catch my breath. Peter walked over and handed me a fresh cup of water. I climbed back onto the couch and closed my eyes relaxing.

"I screamed and cried as he raped me. I thrashed around pulling on the scarves trying to get loose but they just seemed to get tighter and tighter." I whispered

"When he was done he untied one of my arms and left the room. I sat there shocked for a few moments. It was getting light outside now. I heard him turn on the shower. I untied myself and threw on some clothes. I quickly packed a bag. I grabbed _his _wallet and took all the money that was in it. I thanked the stars it was pay-day. That was the first time I ran away." I finished

Sophie and Peter both had tears in their eyes.

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**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I think I am going to have Shelby tell them everything up to the present moment. So**** I have ****one more coming up in a couple of weeks. ~Luv Sparkkeee**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hope you guys like it! ****Here we go! Thank you for the reviews. I really appreciate it.**

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My fav episode moments

Episode 4

During the race when Auggie falls and Shelby asks him "Is it broke? Did you here a wet snap?" Jules "Ewww!"

Episode 6

Shelby comes back to the kitchen after her shock therapy session with Jules. She sits down to eat her ice cream. "Ohh is this chocolate sauce." Everyone mutters yes' and sure. Shelby takes a bite and spits it out. "Chocolate soy sauce." Scott says

Haha great moments. Hilarious.

Episode 14

When Chloe and that one guy finished showing them that promotional Horizon video. And all of the kids stand up showing them up.

Episode 15

Shelby's freak out is one of my all time favorite scenes I can just keep watching it over and over again. That was a amazingly powerful scene and I love A.J. Cook I think she did and amazing job with it.

Episode 21

It is parents week-end. The girls are chopping wood. Kat puts down a piece of wood and runs away to stand besides Shelby. Jules is hiding behind the wood pile. Daisy has the axe and says "It is not an atom bomb. What are you way over there for?" Shelby replies nonchalantly "Daisy with an axe." Jules says duking behind the wood pile again "Never know when you could freak out and go chop shop on us." Kat smiles "Better safe then sorry." "Thanks I'm touched." Daisy said rolling her eyes and taking a swing.

Episode 22

Kat wrote Morp on the board to suggest they have one instead of a prom and everyone is like a Morp? What is that? Then Auggie walks in and says "Yo, a prom. Haha We havin a prom."

Lol nobody knew that it was prom spelled backwards, but since Auggie is dyslexic he knew right away.

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**Shelby's POV**

"Where did you go?" Sophie asked

"I took a bus to a hospital a couple of towns away." I shrugged

"What did you do when you got there?" Peter said

"I told them that I had been attacked and raped." I replied

"Shelby." Sophie said worryingly

"I told them that I was going to the store when it happened and that my name was 'Jane Doe' so they couldn't track me. I paid in cash for the rape kit to be taken. They took pictures of all of the bruises too. I had a black eye, a fractured jaw, bruises on my wrist and ankles from the restraints, bruises on my thighs and all over from the punches and his manhandling. After that and the bus ticket I was almost out of money. The hospital let me stay the night, but that was just a trick to have me stay till the police could come and make me file a report and stuff. When I saw them I booked it out of there."

Sophie pulled me into a hug saying

"Shelby you went to a hospital to have a rape kit by yourself at thirteen years old. You are so strong. Such a wonderful, smart, brave girl."

I smiled at the praise. I then sat in between Sophie and Peter on the couch lapping up the comfort and the safe feeling they were giving off.

"It was Sunday I was walking down the street of the town I was in when a car pulled up next to me. It was my mom and Jess. They were on there way home and saw me. My mother didn't even say anything about the bruises that were visible on my body she didn't even ask what I was doing so far from home. Nothing. she didn't say a thing. That is one of the reasons I don't like her. The signs are so obvious they are screaming at her and she just didn't say a thing. That is when I started being such a bitch and so sarcastic all the time."

"Shelby language!" Sophie scolded me

I rolled my eyes. She smiled. I am telling them about my secrets which are worse than my word choices.

"After that I ran away often. Each time learning something new. Walt still came into to my room at night, but he didn't rape me again. He knew that he couldn't with my mother and sister in the other room. The longest I had stayed away from home was two weeks I slept under the Santa Monica Pier. Until I met Patty. She was my best friend. She showed me how to live on the streets. That was the last time I ran away and my longest stint two months on the street. I was fifteen by that point." I said tearing at the thought of Patty

"Daisy reminds me of Patty. She died before my mother found me she od'd right in front of me. I'm not proud of the way I was living. I mean it is not ideal, but for once in my life it was my choice. I could control something. I declared

"How were you living?" Sophie and Peter asked together

I sighed wishing they didn't ask that question. I just stared at Sophie she looked back at me it finally clicked in her head. I think I could literally see the light bulb go off.

"Oh, Shelby. You didn't." She moaned quietly

"Please don't hate me." I whispered

Peter was still confused.

"Wait, what did she do?" he asked

Sophie leaned behind me and whispered in Peter's ear. He stiffened when she told him. I pushed myself further into the couch trying to disappear.

"Don't hate me." I whispered again

"Shel. We love you. No matter what you say we will love you." Sophie said quickly trying to comfort me. I sat up at her words

"You love me?" I asked turning around to face them both. They looked at each other and nodded. I pulled them into a hug quickly. They hugged me back with the biggest grins on there faces.

"You guys are the parents I wished I had." I murmured before I let go

"Anyway back to the point. Soon after that my mother found me. When mom found me she brought me here instead of back there. Which I am grateful for. I couldn't go back there. I can't. Horizon is my safe place my..." I paused trying to think of the right word

"Sanctuary" Peter and Sophie said together smiling.

"My home" I said

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After that we went to the dinning hall to eat since Peter and I skipped dinner. They let me even have a soda and ice cream. Since I had a rough night. When they walked me back to my dorm I couldn't help but smile for once I felt like not everything was bad in my life. I had a great family right here where I least expected it. Even tho tomorrow everything would go back to the way it has been, but it will slowly get better. I fell asleep thinking of what kid of future I could have. I could be a teacher, or a vet, or maybe even and F.B.I. Agent.

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**Final Chap. Thank You! Let me know what you think. Review. Please. Thank you.**


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